Highway signal



Jan. M, i938. r J, SIMPSON 2,105,203

HIGHWAY SIGNAL Filed Sept. 5, 1936 Patented Jan. 11V, 193s PATENT oEFlcEY HIGHWAY SIGNAL Thornton J. Simpson, Ohula Vista, Calif.

Application September 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to railway crossing signalling apparatus.

It is one of the objects of the invention to produce, adjacent to a railway crossing,'a combination of intersecting light beams which appear to a driver approaching such crossing, high above the road bed. v

It is one of the important objects of the invention to produce adjacent fajrailway crossing a pair of moving light beams originating at opposite sides of the roadway, which will appear to a motorists approaching such crossing as intersecting high above the road bed and which will more effectively warn him of the danger of approaching trains.` Y

It is a further important object of the invention to provide a Vspectacular widely sweeping movement of elevated light beams operating similarly Vto the movement of the arms of a semaphore, which will be clearly visible to motorists and will arrest their attention while they are still at a considerable distance from the crossing and notwithstanding the presence of curves, dips or crestsv and other obstructions in the highway adjacent to the crossing. v

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a twopart signalling devicepositioned at Ydiagonally opposite corners of a railway intersection, each of which will cast ai light beamY both upwardlyv and downwardly across a highway intersectingthe railway and will appear to an approaching motorist as a light beam barcondense and simplify apparatus to which the invention appertains; to provide forrth'e production of moving signals that will be visible at a greater distance fromV the crossing; to support the signalling elements in a superior, oscillatable manner; -to provide unique circuit making and breaking means for actuating the signals upon the approach of trains in the vicinity of the crossing; to` provide a novel combination of elements; and to provide a very positively actuated and dependable railway crossing signal.

A somewhat more specific object of the invention is the provision of a lamp having rays projectible across a highway intersecting a railway,

, which arerockable as a semaphore from one extreme position to another, providing'conductors for the lamp which are closable by the span of the wheels of a train traveling on said railway, havinga branch parallel circuit in which the con- 5, 1936, serial No. 99,597 (o1. 177-329),

ductors of the lamp are included, `and means and mechanism for operating the lamp and at the same time holding open the parallel circuit during the functioning' of the lamp. l

Still other objects, advantages andV featuresV of invention will hereinafter appear. Railroad and highway intersections of todayY are provided with a variety of signals for indieating warnings to drivers of the hazards that may be encountered both by safe and reckless drivers. None of these signals are standardized for respective crossings and it is not uncommon to find a pair of swinging gates which Yform an obstructing barrier at one point while a short Y distance away at a less hazardous point only a wig-Wag is used and ofttimes on less traveled streets and roads no warning indication whatsoever is provided. Y

It is not uncommon today for the rate of speed of a traveling vehicle to be such as to cause it to bear. down on an approaching train before time is had for the driver'to Ybring the vehicle under control. This is partly due to the fact that the crossing signal is not discernible at a suicient distance from the intersection, or turns Vin the road, or hills or dips, making such a signal obscure. For thesereasons, and many others, a more conspicuously visible crossing signal is needed. This invention is suited to meet the aforesaid need.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates what Vat present is deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig, 1 is a perspective view showing Vthe apparatus-installed at a Arailway crossing, the wiring Y connections with the rails of the track being illustrated diagramatically. Y

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the signal casings and parts contained therein, all of which commonly relate to the signal structures shown at the right and left side of Fig. 1,. some parts being omitted and others broken away todisclose interior working parts. In this View also, a portion ofthe wiring is shown diagrammatically Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit. Y

Referring inrdetail tothe drawing, the main parts of the apparatus are duplicated at each side of Ythehighway'V tiA on opposite sides of a railway intersecting'the same, that is to say at diagonally opposite corners of the crossing. These parts include the posts 6, cross bars 1, brace bars 8, and

`cruciate signal frames 9. As viewed in Fig. 1

the right frame 9 rigidly supports'a signal casing Y I0 and the left frame 9 likewise supports a signal casing II. The structures mounted within these two casings are identical and hence only those within the right hand casing I0 will be described in detail.

Casing I Il is shown in Fig. 2 with its cover plate I2, containing the conventional signal lens I3, removed.

To the rear wall of the casing I0, which is mounted upon the cruciate frame 9 in any suitable manner, is fastened an L-shaped block of insulating material I 4, into the longer bulged leg of which is screwed a stud shaft I5. A bracket I6 having a hollow sleeve bearing I1 is rockably mounted on the shaft I5 and the sleeve is retained in its rockable position by means of a collar I8 and a screw I3 fed therethru and tapped into the exposed end of said shaft. Into the outer wall of the sleeve I1 is fastened tripping means comprising an upstanding bakelite pin 2D which as the bracket is rocked in turn is operated to swing back and forth from one extreme position to another.

The bracket I6 has L-shaped limbs or shelf supporting arms 2l and 22 emanating from the sleeve I1 which are preferably disposed at a right angle to each other. The free limb of the arm 2I supports a concavo-'convex reflector 23 on which is mounted an electric lamp 24 in an upstanding relation thereto, and the free limb of the arm 22 likewise supports a concavo-convex reflector 25.

On the rear face of the free limb of the arm 22 is an extension 25 which is pivotally connected by a pin 21 to the core 28 of the solenoid 29. The solenoid core is fastened to the piston thru the medium of the stem 3|, and the piston is slidably mounted in the clash pot cylinder 32 fastened to the wall of the casing. Mounted in the dash pot beneath the piston is a spring 33 which opposes the travel of the 'core into the dash pot.

A switching arrangement is mounted on the block I 4 which opens and closes the circuit to the solenoid and comprises flexible copper strips 34 and 35 fastened to the shorter leg of said block by means of screws 36 constituting binding posts to which are applied the nuts 31.

A switch rod 38 slidably mounted in the bracket 39 fastened to the insulating block I4 is actuated to the left and right by the pin 20, said pin having a lost motion action within a cut away portion of said rod. The slidable switch rod, on being pushed to the left by the pin 20 thru the reaction of the spring 33, contacts both copper strips thereby closing the circuit thru the solenoid 29 whereupon the solenoid pulls down on the core 28 against the opposition of spring 33. Part 38 stays between strips 34 and 35 until the other end of the stroke is reached whence pin 28 pulls rod 38 to the right and breaks the solenoid circuit. Then spring 33 returns the piston to its upper position and the operation is repeated, ad infinitum, so long as the circuit is completed thru the main leads which will be described more completely later.

In the upper wall of the casing I8 is an elongated window 40 which is positioned to disclose the oscillating light ray 4I from the reflector 23, and through the adjacent left hand wall of the casing is a window 42, the position and size of which enable it to disclose the light rays 43 from the reflector 25 at all times during its oscillation. It will be observed that both of these light rays are produced by the lamp 24. The rays 4I are projected at an upward inclination to a consideri able height above the roadway, while the rays 43 are cast downwardly and upon the Stop signs upon the roadbed.

The reflectors 23 and 25 are positioned angularly with relation to each other and both of them are arranged to reflect light beams from the lamp 24, the light beams from reector 23 at all times during its oscillation being directed at an upward inclination thru window 4U while the light beams from reflector 25 at all times during its oscillation are directed at a downward inclination thru window 42.

The upwardly as well as the downwardly cast light beams appear as intersecting to a motorist approaching the crossing from a distance.

'I'hus a light beam barrier having a` repeated semaphoric shifting is cast across the roadway as a warning to motorists that a train is either approaching or leaving the vicinity of the ntersection.

The rails of the double track are shown consecutively numbered 44, 45, 46 and 41, and are broken away at each side of the crossing to indicate the remote circuit-completing means operated by trains approaching from either direction.

Electricity to operate the device is supplied by line wires 48 and 49. The wire 48 is furnished with a lead 50 which goes directly to the lamp 24. The other lamp lead 5I is connected to a conductor 52 which electrically lconnects rails 45 and 41, that is to say the right hand rails of both tracks, assuming that the observer is looking towardthe left in Fig. 1. The line wire 49 is furnished with a lead 53 which is connected to a conductor 54 that unites the remaining two rails 44 and 46. Insulation blocks 55 are shown which are placed between adjacent rail ends sufficiently distant from the crossing to provide that drivers of approaching vehicles be warned in due time.

It has been stated that the line wire 48 has a lead 5I) which goes to the lamp 24. Said lead 581 has a branch 56 which is connected with one end of the solenoid, the opposite end of said solenoid having a lead 51 going to the copper strip 34. The copper strip 35 is furnished with a lead 58 going to lead 5I, already mentioned, which cooperates with the conductor 52 and track rails 45 and 41 to complete that line of the circuit. If a train passes over the section of either track which is segregated by insulation, wires 54 and 52 are connected thru the span of the trains wheels and the circuit is completed causing the lights to operate.

Operation- The oscillating portion of the device is shown in the center of the swinging arc including arcs N' and N, and spring 33 is raising piston 30 and solenoid core 28. Near the end of the stroke, pin 20 will slide rod 38 to the left and contact is made between parts 34 and 35 causing solenoid 29 to pull down on the core 2B. Part 38 stays between parts 34 and 35 until the other end of the stroke is reached whence pin 20 pulls slider 38 to the right and breaks the solenoid circuit. After this operation spring 33 returns the piston up and these operations are continued so long as the wheels close the circuit between rails within the sections of rails segregated by the insulations 55.

The slider element afforded by rod 38 may be varied in shape so long as it is provided with a cut away portion or suitable means to afford a lost motion connection between it and pin 20.

It shall be understood that, although the present disclosure is based on a preferred modification, it is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includesl all other modications and equivalents which fall Within the scope of What is claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. In a crossing signal, a lamp, a rockable support therefor, a plurality of reflectors mounted upon said support, said reflectors being positionedV angularly with relation to each other and both of them being arranged to reiect light beams from said lamp, and means to automatically oscillate said support, the light beams from one of said refiectors at all times during its oscillation being directedat an upward inclination and the light beams from the other said reflector at all times during its oscillation being directed ata downward inclination, Y Y

2. In a signal adjacent a crossing, a lamp, a rockable support therefor, reflectors positioned angularly with relation to each other Vmounted upon said support, said reflectors being positioned to reflect light beams from said lamp at differ-V ent angles simultaneously in a plane at right angles to said crossing, and means to automatically oscillate said support whereby to project a semaphoric movement ofV said light beams across said crossings.

3. In a crossing signal, a casing, Windows disposed in adjacent WallsV of said casing, a pivotal support mounted in said casing, a frame rockably mounted on said support, said frame comprising a sleeve concentric to`y said pivotal support, a pair of angularly shaped brackets depending from said sleeve, each of said brackets having a light reflecting surface, a lamp mounted upon one of said reflecting surfaces, and means to rock y said frame and'thereby cause a swinging movement of the light beam reflected thereby thru said Windows.

4. In a crossing signal, a casing, Windows disposed in adjacent Walls of said casing, a pivotal support mounted in said casing, a frame rockably mounted on said support, a pair of angularly shaped brackets depending from said frame, each of said brackets having a light reflecting surface, a lamp mounted upon one of said reflecting surfaces, and means to rock said frame and thereby cause a swinging movement of the light beam reflected thereby thruv said Windows.

THORNTON J. SIMPSON. 

